Connecting rod bearing retainer



July 31, 1951 w. A. FLYNN CONNECTING ROD BEARING RETAINER- Filed June 14, 1947 7V'z'lliaml4f7 ynn as, Max/mm Patented July 31, 1951 "ccnmzorinegr on BEAIRjiNG RETAINER William A Bittsburgh, Pa., assignor of one-halite J time's-B. Flynn, Chicago, -Ill.

hppiieation Ju ejl i, 1947,"sena1 No.'7-'54;639

My invention relates-to reciprocating engines" 1,

particularly to internal 'coinb'iistibn engines-brthe type "found in the "modern motor car, and the invention consists in certain new "and useful inrpldvmrits in a device for T'etainiiig and aligning the -connecting rod bearings of such e'n'gines when assembling the connecting rods with their crank shaft.

\ The 'deviceof the i'riventio'n is e'speciailyvalwable in the case of tormecting rods having insert bearings, that is, prefabricated bearings thatare inserted the bearin bosses of the cdilnecting rods, as distinguished from bearings which are integrally cast and shaped in the bcis'sjes. Insert bearings present a difiicu lt problem during the assembly of the connecting rods -of "an engine,

with "the crank shaft, as is necessar when "reassemblin an engine after making an of the usual repairs that require the removal of the engine 'pist'cins from their 'cyliliders. For example an insert bearing comprises essentially "a semicylindrical shell formed "of bearing metal,

and this shell received in 'a'semic'ylindri'c'al seat In service this 'bearingf snugjly fits the journal -on' the "crank shaft to which the connecting rod secured, and a complementary bearing "ofsemtcylindrical form is provided in a bearing capwhich is secured "by bolts to the connecting red boss, "thus completing the embrace of the c: a ri-k' a sert bearing portion on the connecting rod, as

distinguished from the'bearing portion in the cap. The emblem referred to will be under'stood iipon considering how a *piston is *forced into it's cylinder by tapping the top of the piston {with a mallet or other suitable implement, this tappiifg or hammering being practically necessary because the modern pist'on rings, with the conventional ring expanders, require a relatively great force to effect the entrance of the piston to the cylinder. During this operation the conriec'tin'g'rod, pivoted at its' upper end to the Ipistb'n, hangs downward in the cylinder and crankcase beneath the piston, and under the efiect of the blows delivered upon the top of the piston "the insert hearing in the depending endortm connecting 'rod becomes loose and falls out.-

when an insertnearing falls out, it becomes necessary to 'p'ush th'e iiiston upward in'the cylin- V 3Clairns. (Cl. 29 ,285)

de'r a 'sufficient distance to permit the humane ing "rod to be swung "sideways from the positionabove the journal of the crank *shaft upon iirhith the bearing is to be assembled, this-swinginga'side of the connecting rod being necessary in arder to provide clearance "for the mechanic to reach"- in with his hand-and re-intr'oduce the insert-'beaif-* ing to the bearing btis's on the connecting read; This operation of moving the piston iipward the cylinder, to permit such-reintroduction (ifthe insert bearing, it a very diificiilt taskfbecanse the piston'at such time is usually located near the bottom of the cylinder where the pis'ten is ar ticularly tight, it being understood that wear be tween *pist'on and cylinder is minimum in the bottom of the cylinder, wherefore a piston equipped with the expander "type of rings tends to bind or lock in the cylinder atthis point.

invention consists in means for el ii'ni'na'ting this; dilficulty. Additionally, the means of th'efi'n vention are useful in aligning the bearing with its crank shaft '3' our'nal, as will appear "in theen- "The invention will be understood upon reference to the accompanying draiw'ir'1gs, in which Fig.1 isa diagrammatic view'showingan a'u' 0- mobile engine 'frag'm'entaril-y in vertical Sectidi'i; the plane of section -ex'ten'di'ng transversely '0? the crank. shaft of the engine and on the ass of one of the cylinders; I

{Fig 2 is a fragmentary viewjs'howing the lower end of the connecting rod, appearing "in Fi'gfil, t'o'niuch larger scale, and illustrating'in 'a'ssoci'a-' tion therewith means embodying my inventiciii;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the crank shah" of the engine showing a crank shaft journal (which receives the'con'riectir' 'g rotljh'ea'rin'g) as it appears on the plane IIIIII "of Fig. 1, blitj'tb larger scale, and illus'tlatilig in engagement? therewith a pair of bearing retaining and angeing devices'of the invention; and I Fig. 4 is a view of "one of "such devices, shewn artly in Side e1evation 'and'p'artly lflaJXiall sec-' tibll, and 'illilsfifajtin'g a "iiiOdifiCa'fidn' in T'strlltillil detail.

Referrin "to the drawings, "an engine cylinde connecting rod, it being understood that the bearing cap 9 was removed from the connecting rod before the assembling operation was commenced. The boss 8 includes a substantially semi-cylindrical bearing portion or insert I and the cap 9 includes an insert bearing I I.

It is customary, if not essential, to leave the bearing bolts or studs I2 in position in the bearing boss 8 on the connecting rod while making the assembly, for in this way, once the bearing has been properly positioned on the journal 6, it is merely necessary to apply the bearing cap 9 upon the bolts I2, which then extend below the journal, and to run home nuts (not shown) upon the ends of the bolts.

The device of the invention consists in a pair of bearing retainer elements, which advantageously take the form of dowel members I3 adapted to be secured to the connecting rod in position to project therefrom in a direction tangent to the bearing I0 assembled therewith. The dowel members I3 consist in this case of tubes of brass orother suitable material; the tubes are internal- 1y threaded, as at I4, to permit them to be screwed upon the bearing bolts I2 as indicated in Fig. 2; the external diameter of the tubes I3 is such that, when the tubes are screwed all of the way upon the bolts I2, the upper edges of the tubes overlie the diametrical edges I5 of the bearing insert I0, and thus operate to clamp the insert bearing rigidly in place in the bearing boss of the connecting rod. It may be noted that each dowel element I3 may include aligned perforations I6, in order that a rod or nail I! (indicated in dotted lines) may be inserted to provide a wrench for use in tightening the devices upon the bolts I2, and to give the mechanic a handle to use in pulling downward on the connecting rod and piston while making the assembly.

While the tubular devices I3 may be open from end to end, to prevent the accumulation of dirt within them, they may be formed closed at their outer endsas herein shown. The outer surface of each dowel element I3 may be cylindrical through the major portion of its extent, and may be knurled as indicated at I8. The outer or distal end of each element is tapered, as at I9, forming a lead portion for guiding or entering the bearing-equipped end of the connecting rod into proper position upon the journal 6 between the counter-balances 20 and 2I of the crank shaft. In the event that the piston and connecting rod are turned on the axis of the piston so that the axis of the insert bearing I0 is out of alignment or parallelism with the axis of the journal 6, the tapered lead ends of the dowel elements I3 will be canted relatively to one another as they move between the counterbalances 20 and 2I and make contact with the journal. Fig. 3 illustrates an extreme condition of misalignment. As the piston is moved downward in the cylinder the dowel elements I3 straddle the journal 6 and in case of misalignment the tapered lead ends of the descending dowel elements bear upon the opposite sides of the journal and exert a twisting effect upon the dowel elements, which twisting effect reacts to turn the connecting rod and the piston into a position wherein the bearing I0 is aligned with the journal. It will be understood that the distance A between the cylindrical body portions of the dowel elements I3 is equal to the diameter of the journal 6 (and of the bearing II] that engages it), wherefore the only condition under which the dowel elements will straddle the journal without exerting a twisting effect is when the dowel elements are aligned on opposite sides of the journal in a plane that extends transversely of and normal to the axis of the journal. Thus, if there be misalignment of the bearing, the bearing, retainer dowel elements I3 are effective to exert a twisting force which is effective, as the piston and connecting rod are forceddownward, to bring the bearing I0 into alignment with the journal 6. This action is effective to prevent the edges of the insert bearing from striking the edges of the lateral bearing abutments 22 and 23 of the counter-balances of the crank shaft, in consequence of which the bearing would be marred to an extent that would require renewal. In order to prevent interference between the edges of the bearing abutments 22 and 23 and the dowel elements, the inner or proximate ends of the dowel elements are provided with a slight external taper 24. The taper 24 on each dowel element has another utility: If the bolts I2 should happen to be out of alignment, the tapers 24 provide a clearance between the dowel elements immediately below the edges of the bearing I6," and during the assembly of the connecting rod with the journal 6 this clearance permits the' connecting rod to center itself relatively to the journal as it reaches the position in which the bearing Ill approaches seated position on the journal. Furthermore, if the studs or bolts I2 have a fillet at the point where they extend from the connecting rod, each dowel element will be provided with a tapered rebate or enlargement 25 at the mouth of its bore, as shown at 25 in Fig. 4.

After the bearing on the connecting rod has been positioned accurately upon the journal 6, the dowel elements are removed from the bolts I2, and the bearing cap 9 is applied and secured.

The dowel elements may be also used when an engine is being taken down for repair. When the 'cap 9 of a connecting rod bearing has been removed, a pair of elements I3 may be applied to the studs or bolts I2 on the connecting rod,-.' to lock the insert bearing in place before re--- moving the piston and connecting rod, and this will serve to prevent the oil film between the bearing and the journal from drawing or holding the bearing away from the connecting rod boss 8 when the piston and connecting rod are removed. In this way the bearing is prevented from falling to the floor of the shop and becom-' ing fouled with dirt or becoming confused with other bearings, which happens when several bearings are dropped from their connecting rods in a repair station. Proper alignment of bearings stantially semi-cylindrical bearing portion to bealigned with and applied to a crank-shaft journal and provided on each of the opposite sides of said bearing portion with a projecting bearing bolt, a pair of dowel elements having hollow and elongate bodies arranged to be secured one upon each of said bolts the outside diameter of the dowel elements being such that when the dowel elements are secured on said bolts the distance between the dowel elements is equal to the di-.

ameter ofv the semi-cylindrical face of said bearing portion, said dowel elementshaving external surface portions that taper convergently toward the distal ends of the dowel elements, the bore in the hollow body of each of said dowel elements being threaded in a medial portion of its extent for threaded engagement with one of said bolts and being of relatively large diameter from said threaded portion to the proximate end of the dowel element for free passage over the body of the bolt to which it is to be secured.

2. For use on a connecting rod having a substantially semi-cylindrical bearing portion to be aligned with and applied to a crank-shaft journal and provided on each of the opposite sides of said bearing portion with a projecting bolt, a dowel element having a hollow and elongate body arranged to be secured to one of said bolts, said dowel element having a body portion with an outside diameter such that when a dowel element is secured on each of said bolts the distance between the two dowel elements is equal to the diameter of the crank-shaft journal on which said bearing portion is to be applied, said dowel element having an external surface portion that tapers convergently from said body portion toward the distal end ofthe dowel element, the bore in the hollow body of said dowel element being threaded in a medial portion of its extent for threaded engagement with one of said bolts, and being of relatively large diameter from said threaded portion to the proximate end of the dowel element for free passage over the body of the bolt to which it is to be secured.

3. For use on a connecting rod having a substantially semi-cylindrical bearing portion to be aligned with and applied to a crank-shaft journal and provided on each of the opposite sides of said bearing portion with a projecting bolt, a dowel element having a hollow and elongate body arranged to be secured to one of said bolts, said dowel element having a body portion with an outside diameter such that when a dowel element is secured on each of said bolts the distance between the two dowel elements is equal to the diameter of the crank-shaft journal on which said bearing portion is to be applied, said dowel element having an external surface portion that tapers convergently from said body portion toward the distal end of the dowel element, the bore in the hollow body of said dowel element being threaded in a medial portion of its extent for threaded engagement with one of said bolts.

WILLIAM A. FLYNN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

